Fayetteville mayoral candidates have contrasting visions for future of city

FAYETTEVILLE -- A developer and a former Wal-Mart employee are trying to stop Mayor Lioneld Jordan from serving a third term.


















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Lioneld Jordan

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Tom Terminella

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Ron Baucom

Jordan faces Tom Terminella, owner of the real estate brokerage firm Terminella Co., and Ron Baucom, who works two jobs part-time and takes care of his 89-year-old mother.

Lioneld Jordan

• Age: 63

• Residency: Fayetteville, 45 years.

• Employment: City of Fayetteville.

• Education: Completion of carpentry apprenticeship at the University of Arkansas.

• Political experience: Mayor, 2009-present; City Council, 2001-08.

Tom Terminella

• Age: 50

• Residency: Fayetteville, 46 years.

• Employment: Developer, real estate broker Terminella Co.

• Education: Fayetteville High School.

• Political experience: None.

Ron Baucom

• Age: 59

• Residency: Fayetteville, 59 years.

• Employment: Parttime at MailCo USA, Landmark Event Staffing.

• Education: Bachelor of science in business administration at the University of Arkansas.

• Political experience: None.

Early voting starts Monday for the Nov. 8 general election. Runoffs will be held Nov. 29.

An open mind, an open heart and an open-door policy are the pillars of Jordan's philosophy guiding his approach to city government, he said. Jordan believes in compassionate leadership creating a partnership between the city and its residents regardless of who they are, he said.

In 2009, Jordan began his first term in the midst of an economic recession and an ice storm causing millions of dollars in damage within his first three weeks in office.

"It's not what you plan on that makes you a leader," Jordan said. "It's what you don't plan on, what you get hit with and how you respond to those kinds of situations that determines what kind of leader you're going to be."

Terminella said he learned at a young age the value of kindness. His father, who died when Terminella was 10 years old, told him to treat others as he would want to be treated.

The best economic plan Fayetteville could ever see would be a policy of kindness, Terminella said. The city needs to change its attitude and welcome the people who want to do business here, not treat them like second-class citizens, he said.

Several business owners and developers over the years have told Terminella doing business in the city is too difficult and have moved north, he said, adding that it hits him in the heart.

"I'm not a perfect man. I never met a perfect man. I never met a perfect person or woman. I don't know that there's a perfect city. Nothing's perfect," Terminella said. "But, I've tried to be the very best person that I can be. I've tried to treat other people with respect and the way that I wanted to be treated until they showed me differently."

Baucom said the city needs to serve all its residents, including its lower-income and elderly population. Fayetteville's median household income is lower than the state and national average. That fact doesn't coincide with U.S. News and World Report ranking the city No. 3 on its list of best places to live, he said.

"The truth of the matter is when you assume the position of the mayor, your priority is improving the entire municipality, and that is done through analysis, resource planning and prioritization," Baucom said. "We need to look at every aspect for improvements to our city and be the best stewards of the taxpayers' dollars without breaking the budget or adding unfair tax burdens on our citizens."

Fayetteville averages one new business a day and has seen 1,231 new jobs in the past year, Jordan said. He discredited the frequent assertion businesses are flocking north, pointing to Whole Foods on North College Avenue, Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Marshalltown Co. expanding its plant and Pinnacle Foods as evidence.

"I think this city's great right now, and I'll think we'll be greater in the future," Jordan said. "They have used that argument that we're business unfriendly for as long as I can remember. I didn't buy it then, and I don't buy it now."

Terminella said he played a part in bringing Whole Foods to Fayetteville. The city may see a new business emerge each day, but many of those businesses likely don't thrive and the number could be higher, he said.

"In 1969, when we showed up here and my father went to work for Don Tyson, Fayetteville was the crown jewel," Terminella said. "I've watched in the last 46 years all the momentum and everything get sucked out of our city to go north. I'm tired of it."

The city should search globally to find businesses promoting living wages, such as green energy companies, which will enable more people to spend money and increase the tax base, Baucom said.

"We have to keep businesses here," Baucom said. "We've lost too many businesses, and we didn't have to. I think our regulations need to be a little more streamlined. I think we've got too much government in some ways."

Jordan highlighted $62 million invested in infrastructure during his administration, with $50 million of that within the last two years, as his basis to get Fayetteville's economy back on track after the recession. The flyover, Kessler Mountain Regional Park, new downtown parking deck, 21 miles of sidewalks, 22 miles of trails, 38 miles of new water and sewer pipes and 80 miles of new roads comprised the investment, he said.

The city's bonded debt on capital improvement projects was $144 million when Jordan took office and is down to $92 million, he said. If the economy stays the course, the debt should be paid by the end of 2019, he said. The city has had seven years of balanced budgets, increased its sales tax revenue by 10 percent and is looking at a surplus next year, he added.

Having the infrastructure in place creates the potential for good development, Jordan said. The city's building permit revenue hit its $1 million goal within the first six months of 2016, Jordan said, and most of the building permits get approved within 10 days.

"Of course you could do away with your streamside protection, you could do away with your hillside protection, you could rubber-stamp everything," Jordan said. "But I think we're better than that. We believe in a certain quality of development in this city."

Terminella said although Jordan has done the best he can with his skill set, he doesn't have the management skills to administrate a $147 million budget. Don Marr, the mayor's chief of staff, has taken on most of that responsibility, Terminella said.

"We're paying two salaries for two mayors. The citizens of Fayetteville didn't sign up for no chief of staff with equal pay for him as the mayor," he said. "Chief of staff? I'm the chief of staff. I'm the mayor. The buck stops at my desk, not somebody that I delegate it to."

Marr's salary is $121,534, and Jordan's is $119,246, according to the city.

The current administration has created a rift with the community in Terminella's eyes.

"We never had a problem with any discrimination or transgender or gender-confused or LGB -- none of that, until Don Marr and his cronies got here and created this divisive issue," he said, speaking of the city's civil rights ordinance. "And I resent them for it."

Baucom wants to ensure the city's police officers and firefighters are well taken care of. Those remaining on the city's waning pension fund abandoned in the 1980s don't get enough attention, he said.

"How can we entice our children growing up, if they want to be policemen or firemen, and get the best candidates we can get, but yet we can't promise them a proper pension?" Baucom said.

Jordan plans to complete his priority project, which is a four-lane roadway featuring sidewalks, trails and bicycle lanes around the city, during his next term. Finished so far is Van Asche Drive through to Joyce Boulevard on the north; Crossover Road on the east; 15th Street, Razorback Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on the south; and a portion of Rupple Road on the west. Extending Rupple Road to Mount Comfort Road should be finished by next year, he said. The city still needs funding to connect Mount Comfort to Van Asche.

Jordan also touted the city's recent contracts with Fayetteville-based Startup Junkie and the Chamber of Commerce as part of its Fayetteville First economic plan. The first economic development plan, Fayetteville Forward, reached its 39 objectives in 2014.

The goal is to become the startup city of the South and provide job training for residents who can't afford higher education, Jordan said, as well as to bring affordable broadband to the city.

None of the accomplishments during Jordan's administration would be possible without support from the community, he said.

"It's about partnership-based government and all of us working together," Jordan said. "I can assure you I've played my part and they do, too. Together, we've taken this place to where it is today, and we're going to take it even further tomorrow."

The city is drunk on taxpayer money, according to Terminella. There's $54 million worth of unfunded municipal items right now and the police department is working with 25 percent of what it needs, he said.

"You'd have to be a complete imbecile not to balance this budget. We've got $147 million a year, man," he said, adding University of Arkansas students contribute a significant portion of the city's revenue.

The city's spending priorities should shift more to brick and mortar development and less from the millions spent on a regional park, Terminella used as an example.

"I go down there for the first time the other day, and I'm embarrassed. I'm embarrassed with what I saw," Terminella said. "One way in, one way out. Poorly planned. Waste piles everywhere. Washouts and erosion. Bioswales that don't make sense to me. Lack of restroom facilities and lack of infrastructure."

Baucom agreed there is poor planning at Kessler Mountain Regional Park. He added there's no evidence to support the idea trails reduce traffic congestion and said he wants to explore share-ride concepts.

"There are unlimited solutions," Baucom said. "Everyone has their ideas, but you can only do so many because we are financially limited. We have to determine our priorities."

NW News on 10/23/2016

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